Eating for Health

As a holistic nutritionist there is a question I am asked over and over. I will never forget especially one young mother of three children who was genuinely confused when she asked me, " There's processed foods everywhere. How do I not feed my kids processed foods? "

It's not surprising I get this question over and over. It's a sad testament to the marketing skill of the food industry processed, nutrient-poor convenience frankenfoods are so engrained in our culture a young mother can't think what else to feed her children.

I told her first you must think of food as fuel for the functioning of your body. Then you guide yourself in food selection by considering if it supports health or fuels illness. Lean to eating whole foods and you can be confident of supporting health. Thus you should shop the perimeter (veggie) and frozen veggie section of the grocery store. There's very little reason to shop the inner aisles.

Next I suggest developing an index card file of healthy recipes. There is a cornucopia of whole food recipes on the internet from which you can build a recipe repertoire of healthy whole food selections.

Health is the greatest wealth. Eating for health is a lifestyle with dividends of energy, vibrancy and joy for life.


..........

Salad Surprise

I've been telling you to have a salad everyday. I can see it now. There you are pulling into a fast food place. You have every intention to order healthy... a healthy salad. What could be better.

But fast food salads are deceptive. They look great.... they look healthy! But most of them are very high in sodium.

What's a person to do?

Order a side salad. Side salads don't have the high sodium deli meats fast food dinner salads have.

Always check out the nutrition no matter how healthy something looks.

................

Have you opted in to the accidental healthnerd list yet? What are you waiting for?

Always check with your doc before starting new diet or exercise regimen.

Why I Am the Accidental Healthnerd

The last few months have been a time of reflection about my current life. It's not what I thought it would be. I feel so grateful to have emerged on the other side of disability. No, I'm not a model of optimal health. I still have some challenges. But I have found a warm sunlight at the end of what seemed like a neverending tunnel of despair.

Nietzsche said, "That which doesn't kill us makes us stronger." For myself, I say adversity has made me stronger, wiser, hopeful and more compassionate. A pretty good package I think.

My emergence from disability is testament to in life you are either getting better or worse and the only constant is change. What I didn't get for so long (though I knew it on some level) and perhaps, you don't either, is we hold the keys to an optimal life and optimal health in our mindset. You will have what you think.

Thinking positive and being grateful lifts your experience of life. Life will love you if you love it. Likewise, if you take care of your body with good nutrition it will respond with more energy and an uplifted outlook on life. Mind and body work together.

Because I changed my mind and improved my nutrition I sit here today with a future I had stopped dreaming I could have. You can, too.

That is the reason for my blog and podcast. I want you to have the future you dream about and if you've stopped dreaming I want you to dream again.